While some of the rest of the country struggles with snow and ice, we took a little trip to 70 degree weather. Flowers were in bloom, and it reminded us that summer is just around the corner.

Down at the very southern tippy-tip of Nevada, in the middle of some of the ugliest, most inhospitable landscapes you can imagine, perched upon the Colorado River bank, is Laughlin, Nevada. It was founded by Don Laughlin, who built a motel with some slot machines there in the 1960s, and over the next 20 years a mini-Las Vegas has grown there on the banks of the Colorado, looking over at Arizona.






The mighty Colorado, which carved the Grand Canyon, and is very muddy in parts, is very clean and clear here at Laughlin. The level is controlled by the nearby Davis Dam. Laughlin is about 10 degrees warmer than Las Vegas, and a popular spot for retirees who love that warmer weather.